At the beginning of Ulrichswoche (Ulrich’s Week)—a commemoration by Augsburg Catholics of St. Ulrich, their patron saint—Bishop Bertram Meier called upon Germany’s divided Catholics not to forget Jesus Christ, but to encounter Him anew, as He is “the center and engine of every reform.”

The 62-year-old prelate, appointed Bishop of Augsburg in 2020, also spoke of St. Ulrich as a model of prayer, evangelization, and the rejection of pomp and luxury. On the Feast of Corpus Christi in June, Bishop Meier had pleaded for a “de-escalation” in conflicts among German Catholics and called for repentance, evangelization, and a return to the essentials of the faith.

Bishop Meier’s July 2 homily at Vespers, at the beginning of Ulrichswoche, followed a July 1 audience with Pope Francis that lasted for nearly an hour. In a German-language article, Catholic News Agency reported that the two discussed the continued relevance of St. Ulrich, an upcoming St. Ulrich jubilee year (2023-24), and the upcoming 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Augsburg Confession (2030).